Audition Information/Requirements - The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Department of Music

2024 On-Campus Auditions

Music Department auditions for Fall 2024 admission will vary by area. Please check your specific area below for their requirements:

INSTRUMENTAL – Prospective students have the option of either auditioning in person or via Zoom on Saturday, February 17, 2024, or submitting audio/video recordings by that date. Please contact the appropriate faculty member for more information and scheduling – jboeckma@hawaii.edu

VOICE – Please contact the appropriate faculty member for more information and to schedule your audition – jmount@hawaii.edu

PIANO – Prospective students have the option of either auditioning in person or via ZOOM on Saturday, February 17, 2024. Video recording may also be submitted before this date (Oahu residents should play a live audition). Please contact the appropriate faculty member for more information and scheduling – jkorth@hawaii.edu

Brass & Woodwind Instruments

To schedule, contact Dr. Jeffrey Boeckman.

Undergraduate BA, BEd students
- Major scales over full range of instrument
- Two etudes/repertoire works of contrasting styles (demonstrating technical ability and musicianship) at the early Intermediate to Advanced level
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Undergraduate BM students
- Major and minor scales over full range of instrument
- Two repertoire works of contrasting styles (demonstrating technical ability and musicianship) at the late Intermediate to Advanced level
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Graduate MM Students
- Major and minor scales & arpeggios over full range of instrument
- At least three repertoire works of contrasting styles at the Advanced level (concerti movements, etc.)
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Performance Certificate Students
- At least three repertoire works of contrasting styles at the Advanced level (concerti movements, etc.)
- For in-person auditions, major and minor scales & arpeggios over full range of instrument and sight-reading will also be expected.

String Instruments

For questions regarding repertoire selections and substitutions, please contact Dr. I-Bei Lin.

Undergraduate BA, BEd students
- Two-octave Major scales
- Two etudes/repertoire works/movements of contrasting styles (demonstrating technical ability and musicianship) at the early Intermediate to Advanced level
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Undergraduate BM students
- Three-octave Major and minor scales
- Two repertoire works or movements of contrasting styles (demonstrating technical ability and musicianship) at the late Intermediate to Advanced level, such as: a suite of J.S Bach, a concerto, a work showing virtuosity such as an etude or caprice
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Graduate MM Students
- three/four-octave Major and minor scales & arpeggios
- At least three repertoire works of contrasting styles at the Advanced level, such as: a suite of J.S Bach, a concerto, a work showing virtuosity such as an etude or caprice
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Performance Certificate Students
- At least three repertoire works of contrasting styles at the Advanced level, such as: a suite of J.S Bach, a concerto, a work showing virtuosity such as an etude or caprice
- For in-person auditions, major and minor scales & arpeggios and sight-reading will also be expected.

Percussion Instruments

To schedule, contact Dr. Jeffrey Boeckman.

Undergraduate BA, BEd students
- Demonstration of fundamental skills (rudiments, mallet scales, timpani tuning)
- Etudes/repertoire work for two of the three following percussion instruments: Snare Drum, Timpani, Mallet Instruments
- Auxiliary instruments (drum set, multi perc, world perc, etc.) as auditioning student requests
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Undergraduate BM students
- Demonstration of fundamental skills (rudiments, mallet scales, timpani tuning)
- Etudes/repertoire work for all three major percussion instruments: Snare Drum, Timpani, Mallet Instruments
- Auxiliary instruments (drum set, multi perc, world perc, etc.) as auditioning student requests
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Graduate MM Students
- Repertoire work at the Advanced Level for all three major percussion instruments: Snare Drum, Timpani, Mallet Instruments
- Mallets: two works in contrasting styles, one for 4-mallet marimba
- Auxiliary instruments (drum set, multi perc, world perc, etc.) as requested
- Sight-reading (music provided by faculty)
Performance Certificate Students
- Repertoire work at the Advanced Level for all three major percussion instruments: Snare Drum, Timpani, Mallet Instruments
- Mallets: two works in contrasting styles, one for 4-mallet marimba
- Auxiliary instruments (drum set, multi perc, world perc, etc.) as requested
- For in-person auditions, sight-reading will also be expected.

Piano

To schedule, contact Dr. Jonathan Korth.

Undergraduate BA, BEd students (15 minutes)
- 2-3 works of contrasting styles at the early Intermediate to Advanced level.
- At least one work to be performed by memory.
- Major and minor scales and arpeggios, 2 octaves.
- Sight-reading. (music provided by faculty)
Undergraduate BM students (15 minutes)
- 3 works of contrasting styles at the late Intermediate to Advanced level.
- All works to be performed by memory.
- Major and minor scales and arpeggios, 4 octaves.
- Sight-reading. (music provided by faculty)
Graduate MM Students (20 minutes)
- At least 3 works of contrasting styles at the Advanced level.
- All works to be performed by memory.
- Sight-reading. (music provided by faculty)
Performance Certificate Students
- At least 3 works of contrasting styles at the Advanced level.
- All works to be performed by memory.
- For in-person auditions, sight-reading will also be expected.

Voice

To schedule, contact Dr. Maya Hoover.

Undergraduate BA students
- A minimum of two songs in contrasting styles and languages that reflect your best overall ability.
- Repertoire from the classical, musical theater, or Hawaiian music genres is encouraged.
Undergraduate BM students
- Two selections (art songs or arias) from the classical music tradition in contrasting musical styles and languages.
- One must be in a language other than English. Selections must be performed from memory.
Graduate MM Students
- Four selections from the classical music tradition in contrasting musical styles and languages.
- Selections may include a combination of arias and art songs, and each of the primary singing languages (German, French, Italian, and English) must be represented. A fifth language may be added or substituted for the English selection.
Performance Certificate
- Four selections from the classical music tradition in contrasting musical styles and languages.
- Selections may include a combination of arias and art songs, and each of the primary singing languages (German, French, Italian, and English) must be represented. A fifth language may be added or substituted for the English selection.
- All works to be performed by memory.

About Recordings

All audition recordings will be submitted through Mākālei in an MP3 format.
The unedited recording should be of the best fidelity, and carefully recorded on the highest quality equipment available to you. Use recording equipment that allows you to set the recording level. The small condenser microphones found on most portable tape recorders “flatten out” dynamic levels and rarely produce a representative recording.
The recording microphone should be at least six feet away from the instrument/voice.
Begin the recording by slowly and clearly announcing your name, your intended major (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Education in Music), and the pieces you will perform. Identify each composition by title and composer. Piano accompaniment is preferred unless you are performing a composition intended as an unaccompanied work.
Recordings should be uploaded together with the Music Department application form.

Piano Placement Tests

The Piano Placement Test, administered during New Student Orientation, is required for all non-keyboard music majors. For students who have never studied piano, you will be placed at the beginning level of class piano MUS 125. For those students who have had piano instruction, you will be tested on the following skills so that you can be placed in the proper level of class piano:

Please be prepare to play a classical piece at your current skill level. (Memorization is not required.)
You will be evaluated on your ability to read music at the keyboard (sight reading and transposition) as well as your general ability to play (such as melody harmonization, scales with proper fingerings, basic chord progressions.)
MUS 125 is usually taken concurrently with Theory MUS 281 (Theory I) and MUS 283 (Aural Training I).